Innovation Anthology #716:

Download MP3 Link

Young children with inflammatory bowel disease are often treated with predinizone, but this and other treatments can produce undesirable side effects.

Researcher Dr. Shairaz Baksh believes he’s found a milder alternative and that’s a drug originally designed to treat leukemia.

Dr. Baksh is an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Alberta.

DR. SHAIRAZ BAKSH: The drug is called imatinib/Gleevac.   This drug is used for chronic myelogenous leukemia patients  And it’s a drug that’s been on the market, my guess is, it’s about ten years now.  And so this drug works very well to inhibit the key enzyme that’s causing the abnormalities that these  leukemia patients have.  It’s an enzyme called c-able.  It’s a kinase.  What we found was that in inflammatory bowel disease ithis kinase also its called also turned on or  active  So we were very excited that we found this because then there is a drug for it.  So we thought, well let’s try it in an animal model to see if we can dampen the effects that we’re seeing and control the inflammation. And to our surprise we did see that it was very beneficial.  

Dr. Baksh says since Gleevac already has FDA approval, that should pave the way for a Phase 2 human trial for childhood inflammatory bowel disease.

Thanks today to ALBERTA INNOVATES HEALTH SOLUTIONS

FOR INNOVATION ANTHOLOGY
I’M CHERYL CROUCHER

Guest

,

, , , ,

Sponsor

Alberta Innovates Health Solutions

Alberta Innovates (formerly Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions)

As the newly formed Alberta Innovates corporation, we still fund top quality, internationally competitive health research and innovation activities to improve the health and wellbeing of Albertans. We provide leadership for Alberta’s health research and innovation enterprise by directing, coordinating, reviewing, funding and supporting research and innovation.

Working with our many partners  in the health system, we ensure that research achieves innovation in care, policy and practice, and that the needs of patients and clinicians influence research.

Our background

Alberta Innovates consolidation was launched November 1, 2016.

Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions

Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions was established as part of the Alberta Innovates system by an Act of Legislation of the Government of Alberta. It is a agency  of the Government of Alberta. We receive a yearly allocation from the Ministry of Health and report through the ministry to the people of Alberta.

Our Mandate and Roles document reflects our role and responsibilities and outlines the government statues and regulations with which we comply.

Alberta’s Health Research and Innovation Strategy (AHRIS) sets out Alberta’s health research agenda for the coming decade to ensure our considerable investments in research align with our priority—to improve the health of Albertans.

Program Date: 2015-09-17